I never watched 'All that' when I was younger, nor did I see the first movie of 1997 when I was in the target audience. Having sat recently to check it out, I thought it was enjoyable, with high energy and animated performances, though largely bereft of greater wit that might entice not just kids but their parents who might be watching with them - and any sense of dynamics that would help the humor to especially flourish. Whether we're talking about film or television it's always a dicey affair to create a follow-up, especially after a long time away, so it seems only reasonable to approach 'Good Burger 2,' reuniting Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell after twenty-six years, with a healthy dose of skepticism. To sit and watch, the good news is that this 2023 sequel doesn't miss a beat and effectively picks up right where the last one left off. The bad news is that this 2023 sequel doesn't miss a beat and effectively picks up right where the last one left off.
Okay, to be fair, while this flick does share some issues with its predecessor, in some welcome ways it's also an improvement. In the broad strokes it absolutely does feel like a sequel that could have practically been released back to back, and all the same ingredients are here: a steady flow of gags, physical comedy, outrageous dialogue, exaggerated characters and acting, abject silliness, and that bombastic energy. It should be said, though, firstly, that the biggest problem the picture faces in this regard is when it embraces sheer goofiness for its own sake, a childish simplicity that amounts to "Look at this silly man! Isn't he silly? Haha, so silly!" The kinship Number Two shares with the worst aspects of Number One is quite complete. We see this in the most outrageous stunts and effects, and the biggest set pieces, and to be honest, even the antics of Mitchell's centerpiece character, Ed, wear thin after awhile. Factor in how weirdly heavy-handed the writing gets in the last third or so, and how much the script is built on its antecedent - Thompson's character Dex apparently forgot all his prior character growth, the plot follows directly from the events of before, and there's even a new Abe Vigoda, with basically all the same jokes - and one kind of has to question just how necessary a second feature really was. We could have just rewatched the 1997 title and saved on the resources that went into a "new" rendition.
Where 'Good Burger 2' does improve on its antecedent, in some measure, is in more cleverness that trades on twisting expectations, or taking ordinary situations to wild, weird extremes of backwards logic. At such times one is reminded of the farce we've gotten over the years from the likes of Rowan Atkinson, Monty Python, or even the Marx Brothers, or the Three Stooges at their best. This is where the film earns its laughs, and returning writers Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert deserve some credit for helping the comedy to grow up, even if only a smidgen. Would that Kopelow and Seifert trusted more in their viewers, no matter their age, to appreciate bits that are a little smarter; people everywhere regularly underestimate children's intelligence and it really isn't necessary to build the bulk of the movie on the most bare-faced and juvenile of gags. If nothing else one would think that twenty-six years would be enough time to learn this, but here we are.
For what it's worth, even where I plainly disagree with some choices that were made, we can't say that this isn't well made. The post-production visuals are rather gauche, but the practical effects, stunts, and tangible creations are very well done. The art direction, costume design, and hair and makeup all boast vibrant hues and look sharp across the board. Overbearing as Mitchell's mannerisms as Ed may become as the length draws on, one can't fault him for committing to the bit, and much the same goes for Thompson and everyone else in the cast. I'd even apply the same verbiage to the cinematography, editing, and Phil Traill's direction. The flick has its issues, predominantly in some lack of imagination from Kopelow and Seifert, but by and large no one operating either behind the scenes or in front of the camera was slouching in their contributions.
What it comes down to is that if you're a big fan of the first picture you'll be getting more of the same this time around, down to cheesy choreography, sing-a-longs, and celebrity cameos. It's gratifying that the screenwriters have made improvements by excising jokes that punch down, or which are kind of insensitive or thoughtless, and moreover that some of the humor is distinctly more clever; it's disappointing that 'Good Burger 2' doesn't generally reflect more significant growth from more than two decades ago. When all is said and done the two are pretty much on par. Maybe I should have managed my own expectations, but I just think that the sequel shouldn't have corresponded so closely to what we got before. Still, I'm glad for those who get more out of the feature than I do. Perhaps leave this one for the Nickelodeon diehards; if you're a casual viewer just looking for something light, you could watch either the 1997 title or the 2023 one, but there's not much need to spend time with both.
Okay, to be fair, while this flick does share some issues with its predecessor, in some welcome ways it's also an improvement. In the broad strokes it absolutely does feel like a sequel that could have practically been released back to back, and all the same ingredients are here: a steady flow of gags, physical comedy, outrageous dialogue, exaggerated characters and acting, abject silliness, and that bombastic energy. It should be said, though, firstly, that the biggest problem the picture faces in this regard is when it embraces sheer goofiness for its own sake, a childish simplicity that amounts to "Look at this silly man! Isn't he silly? Haha, so silly!" The kinship Number Two shares with the worst aspects of Number One is quite complete. We see this in the most outrageous stunts and effects, and the biggest set pieces, and to be honest, even the antics of Mitchell's centerpiece character, Ed, wear thin after awhile. Factor in how weirdly heavy-handed the writing gets in the last third or so, and how much the script is built on its antecedent - Thompson's character Dex apparently forgot all his prior character growth, the plot follows directly from the events of before, and there's even a new Abe Vigoda, with basically all the same jokes - and one kind of has to question just how necessary a second feature really was. We could have just rewatched the 1997 title and saved on the resources that went into a "new" rendition.
Where 'Good Burger 2' does improve on its antecedent, in some measure, is in more cleverness that trades on twisting expectations, or taking ordinary situations to wild, weird extremes of backwards logic. At such times one is reminded of the farce we've gotten over the years from the likes of Rowan Atkinson, Monty Python, or even the Marx Brothers, or the Three Stooges at their best. This is where the film earns its laughs, and returning writers Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert deserve some credit for helping the comedy to grow up, even if only a smidgen. Would that Kopelow and Seifert trusted more in their viewers, no matter their age, to appreciate bits that are a little smarter; people everywhere regularly underestimate children's intelligence and it really isn't necessary to build the bulk of the movie on the most bare-faced and juvenile of gags. If nothing else one would think that twenty-six years would be enough time to learn this, but here we are.
For what it's worth, even where I plainly disagree with some choices that were made, we can't say that this isn't well made. The post-production visuals are rather gauche, but the practical effects, stunts, and tangible creations are very well done. The art direction, costume design, and hair and makeup all boast vibrant hues and look sharp across the board. Overbearing as Mitchell's mannerisms as Ed may become as the length draws on, one can't fault him for committing to the bit, and much the same goes for Thompson and everyone else in the cast. I'd even apply the same verbiage to the cinematography, editing, and Phil Traill's direction. The flick has its issues, predominantly in some lack of imagination from Kopelow and Seifert, but by and large no one operating either behind the scenes or in front of the camera was slouching in their contributions.
What it comes down to is that if you're a big fan of the first picture you'll be getting more of the same this time around, down to cheesy choreography, sing-a-longs, and celebrity cameos. It's gratifying that the screenwriters have made improvements by excising jokes that punch down, or which are kind of insensitive or thoughtless, and moreover that some of the humor is distinctly more clever; it's disappointing that 'Good Burger 2' doesn't generally reflect more significant growth from more than two decades ago. When all is said and done the two are pretty much on par. Maybe I should have managed my own expectations, but I just think that the sequel shouldn't have corresponded so closely to what we got before. Still, I'm glad for those who get more out of the feature than I do. Perhaps leave this one for the Nickelodeon diehards; if you're a casual viewer just looking for something light, you could watch either the 1997 title or the 2023 one, but there's not much need to spend time with both.